Approaching Hospital-Bound/Home-Bound Special Education as an Opportunity for Innovation in Teaching

Trentin, Guglielmo

Educational Technology, v54 n1 p26-30 Jan-Feb 2014

Paradoxically some "extreme" didactic needs, such as those of students who are unable to attend normal education regularly (e.g., hospitalized and/or homebound students), have shown themselves to be ideal for the development of a teaching style aimed at stimulating the active role of the student, at fostering a learning process based more on doing than on listening, hence in line with so-called "2.0 pedagogy." In this sense, that special pedagogy can be considered as a potential crucible for educational innovation. After a few considerations on the current relationship between technology and pedagogy, the author considers how it is possible to capitalize on the numerous individual experiences of hospital and home teachers, in order to foster innovation in teaching and teachers' professional development. Although the considerations in this article particularly refer to the author's direct experience in the context of hospital/home-bound special education, it should be pointed out that numerous research projects in other special education contexts (e.g., cognitive, sensorial disability) reach similar conclusions.